A Little More Luck Than a Little Bit
by DenyingTheTruth
Summary: Cody Rhodes is still hurting over a recent break up with an ex. In vengeance, he wants to adopt the lifestyle Randy seems to perfect easily. What happens when he begins to fall for the girl he wants to hurt? Cody/Kelly, RKO, Natalya, etc.
1. The Unlucky One

**Disclaimer: Oh hey there. If you recognize it, I don't own it. **

**A/N: Another story I've started to keep my mind busy. Please R/R, I loooove hearing opinions. Oh yeah, and this time, I'm trying to write it in the male's POV, since it seems that girls dominate the fanfiction. Thanks!**

* * *

"Dude, really? Are you ready to get going?" Ted Dibiase, Jr. looked over to his friend. The members of Legacy were headed out to the club, in hopes of picking up a few pretty girls. One night stands.

It's what they were good at.

Randy Orton appeared, sneering at Ted. "You know, I feel like he's a woman sometimes." His voice dripped with venom. Even though he wasn't angry, or even annoyed, he had developed quite an attitude that just made him sound like a cocky jerk. All the time.

"Hey now," Cody Rhodes emerged from the bathroom, a bottle of hair gel in his hand, "I just got back from working out, I can't pick up girls like that."

Ted snorted. "Man, you can't pick chicks up anyway!" Randy Orton began to chuckle, buttoning up a black dress shirt. His chest muscles could faintly be seen through the fabric.

Cody ignored him. It's not that he couldn't pick up a girl, it was just that…well, since his previous girlfriend left him because of his busy schedule, he just hadn't really been into it. That, and just because Ted and Randy didn't really care who they were sleeping with, didn't mean he held the same regards. Randy was a known womanizer, managing to put half the diva roster as notches in his belt. He'd kind of slowed down with the divas, because unfortunately, girls gossiped. A lot. And even though he was charming, they already knew what he was capable of. Ted, on the other hand, was trying to follow in their self-proclaimed "leader's" footsteps. Unfortunately, he was rather unlucky when it came to the divas, being thus far unsuccessful in even managing a date.

Cody finally spoke. "I think tonight's my night, though. I'm feeling lucky," he flashed them a huge, cocky grin. Randy slapped him on the back, surprising him a little bit.

"Feeling lucky? I'm thinking it's about time you _get_ lucky," he drawled, nodding slightly toward the bed.

At that, Cody only chuckled, running his hands through his hair one last time. The three men grabbed their cell phones, and walked out the hotel room door.

* * *

"Guiness on tap," Cody asked the burly man behind the bar. While his glass was filling, he glanced around the club. He was surprised so many people from the RAW roster showed up here tonight. He watched Ted try his luck with Eve, who seemed to be enjoying the attention. She was with Nikki Bella and Maryse, who giggled and poked each other as Ted tried to work his magic.

"Bottle of Corona, please," a girl's voice chirped nearby. Cody looked out of the corner of his eye, his thoughts interrupted. Pretty blonde hair fell over this woman's face, slightly hiding her identity. Cody, however, could make no mistake; it was Kelly.

"Didn't expect you to be into that kind of stuff," he said, staring straight ahead, trying to joke with her. Kelly swiftly turned, eyeing him up.

"Well, it's been a rough day. Sue me."

Cody laughed. Since Randy Orton had proceeded to break the young diva's heart, Kelly made a point to let everyone know how much she'd despised Randy and his "cronies," and naturally, Cody was no exception. He never really even talked to the girl, although he certainly knew the dirty details of the few nights she'd spent with the Viper. He wished for a moment that she didn't hate him based on the group of people he was involved with. After all, they were the future of the company, and they had become good friends.

He decided to be a prick. Hell, he didn't screw her over, but she still treated him like this any chance she got.

"Sue you? What's your going rate? Two, maybe three dollars an hour? I feel like that'd be a little cruel, leaving you with so little," he looked into her eyes, hoping his were flashing furiously like Randy had perfected.

Kelly rolled her eyes, and flipped her hair. She brought her face close to his, and Cody could smell her flowery scent. He could see a tiny scar right above her lip, and as Kelly began to smile coyly, he couldn't help noticing how brilliantly white her teeth were.

"You know, Cody," she said sweetly. Too sweetly. "I don't know what _he_'s told you, but you know nothing about me. Don't think for a second that you do."

"He hasn't told me anything, actually. Oh, except that there was nothing worth telling." He watched Kelly flinch a little. He knew he'd done a little damage.

_Good,_ he thought. _Last time I try being nice to this bitch. _

"But I do know what you are. Who you are. Everyone does, Kelly. And that is never going to change," he continued, taking a swig from his glass, and getting off from the bar stool. He stood facing her, looked her straight in the eye, and flashed an arrogant smile. "Slut."

Kelly's mouth dropped open. She was defeated, and Cody could see it in her eyes. For a millisecond, he'd almost felt bad about it. But that moment was quickly erased, and his own glass of beer was dripping down his face.

"Fuck you," Kelly growled back. She turned and left, slight tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She was quickly greeted by Natalya, who flashed her eyes toward Cody and smirked, as if to say, "You had that coming, asshole."

After asking the bartender for a rag, Cody mopped up his face. He undoubtedly didn't feel lucky anymore. He slid his phone open to reveal a keypad, quickly texted Randy, telling him he was calling for a cab and heading back,. He didn't bother ruining Ted's time with Eve.

As he left the club, he couldn't help but feel worthless. He wished he could be more like Randy when it came to the girls, being so easily able to cut off any possible emotional attachment. That way, he wouldn't be pining over his ex, Brittany. Of course, he told the guys he was over "the psycho bitch," as he'd put it, but he wasn't. He really thought they'd had something, but apparently, she'd thought differently.

"_You have changed so much from being away…being around them," _Brittany had accused.

God, how he wanted to just adapt the "kick 'em to the curb" attitude. He was sick of feeling like shit all the time.

Finally, the cab arrived, and Cody slipped in, eager to go back to rest. It was, as Kelly had put it, quite a rough day.

* * *

**A/N: Well? What do you think? I have to say, I like where this is going so far. **


	2. Good Luck Charm

**Disclaimer: I not own, you not sue. **

**A/N: Okay, so I wanted reviews before continuing, but I'm afraid I'll lose my great ideas overnight. So I'm going to keep writing a little bit. Hope you like it!**

* * *

Cody fumbled around, emptying his pockets once more, confirming again that he'd forgotten the key card to his hotel in the room before he left.

_Fuck_, he thought. He was probably the unluckiest person he knew. He flipped open his phone, hoping Randy or Ted were on their way back. He had one unread text:

_Won't be back until early am. Sweet dreams! LOL._

Cody's brow furrowed in frustration. Of course Randy had found a girl to charm. Of course he had to chill outside of their hotel room. And, of course, some guys had all the luck.

He decided not to beg Randy or Ted to come open the door for him. That would ruin their nights, too, and he didn't want to put his head on the chopping block. Instead, he wandered over to the lobby, and plopped on a plush maroon chair.

Next thing he knew, someone was poking at him.

"Wha-what?" his eyes slowly adjusted.

"Why don't you go to bed?" a female's voice asked.

Cody focused on the girl's face, and it finally registered that he'd fallen asleep. He checked his phone, hoping that one of his roommates would be back soon. Unfortunately, he'd only been asleep for roughly twenty minutes.

"I…er, I can't get in," he admitted sheepishly.

"Ugh, for real? He kicked you out for 'alone time?'" Natalya scrunched her face up, disgusted.

"Nah, I forgot my key," Cody laughed, feeling like a complete ass. "But I don't want to ruin anyone's night by telling them to let me in."

Natalya searched his face, trying to decide whether or not to believe him. She must have decided he was being truthful, and gave him a half-smile. She opened her mouth to say something, but was startled by another woman.

"He's so not even worth it," the voice stated matter-of-factly. The voice belonged to Kelly, obviously still harboring hard feelings from earlier in the night. "But, hey, if I'm interrupting something…I can leave."

Natalya shrugged it off. "Come on, you smell like alcohol. At least take a quick shower in our room." Kelly's face twisted into utter horror, and Cody enjoyed watching her face drop further when he'd agreed.

Maybe he could get her back for tossing beer into his face after all.

"You're way too nice to that jerk," Kelly whispered furiously. Cody was in the girl's bathroom, quietly undressing so as to hear what was happening on the other side of the door.

_Yuck, _he thought as he pulled his shirt over his head. _I really do smell like I've been bathing in beer._

"Kel, he's not the one who played games. You don't even know him, "Natalya said quietly. "I know he pissed you off earlier. I get it. But try to be a bit more civil," she added.

Cody didn't hear Kelly's reply as he started up the shower. He could only imagine, though, her shooting back how everyone seemed to assume they 'knew' her based solely on locker room gossip.

Cody wondered how much of the gossip was really true. Randy Orton had been the first to expose his intimate relations with her, and others followed suit, hoping to one-up him. It wasn't until she'd been caught—on camera, nonetheless, leaving Adam "Edge" Copeland's locker room, pulling her skirt down. Adam wasn't shy about telling the guys what happened, and, like Randy, decided to ignore her altogether.

Cody suddenly felt a spark of genius. If Adam could get her under the covers, he shouldn't have a problem, either. After the pain he'd been put through over the past few months, he wanted someone else to hurt the way he hurt. He wanted to forget he had emotions, finally force himself to see that sex doesn't have to equal love. After all, Randy made it all seem easy.

And, speaking of easy…he knew just who his first victim would be.

He turned off the shower, taking the fluffy white towel from the rack. He quickly dried off, and put on his bottom half of the night's ensemble. He unlocked the door, flexing his chest muscles slightly, and stepped out.

Natalya was sitting on the floor, going over her schedule for the next few days. Kelly sat on her bed, absentmindedly flipping through channels.

"Thanks for letting me take a shower," he said, smiling warmly at Natalya. She looked up and returned his smile.

Kelly turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow. "Put a shirt on," she said, then turned back to the television screen.

Cody faked a chuckle. "I would, but the funniest thing happened to me. This girl didn't like that I could see right through her, so she threw beer at me. Drenched my shirt. And now, it smells like I bought out Macy's entire supply of new alcohol cologne…and used it all for one night."

Kelly, almost inaudibly, shot him a "whatever." Natalya smiled, knowing he had given a fair argument with her friend.

"Hey guys, I'm going to run to the gas station next door and grab some snacks. Want anything?" Natalya jumped up from her spot on the floor. Cody noticed she'd changed from earlier, and was now wearing yoga pants and an old hooded sweatshirt. He couldn't help but feel slightly jealous of her boyfriend, TJ. She was so pretty without even trying. And, in a way, her kind heart reminded him of Brittany, before things went sour…

"I'm definitely in the mood for some ice cream," Kelly said. "None of that crap you got last time, though. Good stuff."

Natalya nodded. "You?" she said, her question aimed at Cody.

"No…no, I think I'll be just fine. Thanks, though," he said, and she left, leaving him and Kelly in an awkward silence.

"I can't believe I'm stuck here with you," Kelly said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Face it, you wouldn't want to be anywhere but here," Cody replied, trying to sound confident.

Kelly snorted. "You're right. Hanging out with childish men who think they know me is my ideal way to spend the evening."

"I didn't say I knew _you._ I just said I knew _what," _Cody replied, not missing a beat.

"So explain to me, All Knowing One, why, if a girl sleeps with one guy, she's a slut. But if a guy sleeps with multiple girls, he's got it made," Kelly retorted.

"One guy? Kel, word travels fast in the locker room."

Kelly didn't say anything back, and Cody knew that once again, he'd hit a nerve. Now was the time to move in for the kill.

He walked over to the bed and sat down, putting a hand gently on her shoulder. She looked up at him, a questioning look written all over her face.

"Locker room talk aside, though, I have to admit I'm pretty jealous over what I've heard," Cody falsely admitted.

Kelly raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? "

Cody could feel her observing his naked, chiseled stomach. He looked into her eyes, smiling. "Because that means they've had the most beautiful girl on RAW even acknowledge that they exist. I couldn't be so lucky." In a quick, sweeping motion, Cody used the technique he'd watched Randy do at the clubs thousands of times. He moved a piece of hair from Kelly's face, gave her a sweet kiss on the apple of her cheek, and got back up.

Kelly sat there dumbfounded, and Cody picked up his shirt from the bathroom floor. "See you around, Kelly," he called, walking out the door.

_This is going to be a piece of cake, _Cody thought to himself. _Women can't resist charm. Especially ones like her._


	3. The Locker Room Legend

**Disclaimer: Vincent Kennedy McMahon owns the WWE and all trademarks. I only own my imagination.**

**A/N: Thanks for reading, guys! I would love to hear more feedback. I'm currently in love with this story. It's fun writing from a guy's POV. :]**

* * *

Cody woke up to the sound of someone shuffling into the hotel room. He groggily checked the alarm clock, which read 3:34 A.M.

"Man, people are trying to sleep," he said, turning away from the door. Suddenly, light streamed into the entire room as the light switch was flicked on.

"How can you guys sleep? Too many things to see…and people to do…" Randy sing-songed, quite obviously inebriated.

Ted sat up in his bed. "Who was the lucky woman?" he said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Cody wondered if he was actually curious or just wanted to compare his evening with the Viper's.

"Wom_en_," Randy shot back. "I didn't actually get to do anything, but I'm thinking if I play my cards right, this Legend Killer will be the meat to a Bella sandwich."

Ted looked up at him, disbelief crossing his features. "You are such a lucky bastard," he said, shaking his head before lying back down. "That would pretty much make _you_ a legend in the locker room."

Randy smirked, "I already am, my man…already am."

Cody wished he could deny that statement, but it was true. What was more, that if he managed to have the Bella twins, he'd achieve an even higher status as a playboy. He felt a quick pang of jealousy. He was so sick of being the nice guy, and was definitely sick of wishing that Brittany would call him back. Through mutual friends, though, it seemed that she moved on without a problem; she was in an extremely serious relationship and even planned to marry the guy.

Cody got out of bed, exposing his black silk boxers to the chilly hotel room air. He pulled on a pair of gray sweats, and opened the door to the hallway.

"Where are you goin'?" Randy called, his words a little garbled.

"Running to the vending machine," he replied. He didn't like to admit he was a little high-maintenance when it came to water; he just hated the metal taste that tap water seemed to carry. He was a bottled water kind of guy.

As he neared the machine, a figure sat on the floor across from it, flip-flops against the bottom. Cody stopped in his tracks, straining his ears to the voice talking into a cell phone.

"Of course we're going to lead him on, Kel. After the shit he pulled with you, I think this would be the ultimate revenge…" there was a slight pause, then a giggle. The figure pulled her hood up a little more over her face, ensuring that she was still hidden by the black fabric. "You know, that wouldn't be a bad idea. It would put all of them in their place. They think they can just use women…Cody? Well, yeah, I guess you're right…he's definitely the quiet one of the group, although I think he's already been put in his place…yeah, I heard…listen, you get back to doing your thing, and I'm gonna run." A longer pause. A quick goodbye, and the snap of the phone shutting made Cody realize that he was within eye's view of the woman. He figured it was one of the Bella twins, but couldn't tell which one. He rolled around the corner as the girl got up, and she unveiled herself. Nikki Bella smoothed her black shorts before walking down the hall, and then looked both ways before walking back towards the room she shared with her sister.

_What the fuck? _Cody thought to himself, breathing out a short sigh of relief for not being caught. He wondered what Kelly was doing awake still, hoping she didn't already have a guy. Though it'd make things more interesting, it might be a harder task.

_I'm so sick of being the damn nice guy. Everybody knows it, too…_ Cody made a silent vow that he would finally earn some respect, especially within Legacy. After all, the only way to get to the top was to use people. And, if _he_ played his cards right, making the "connections" with the right people could help him out.

After he got a bottle of water from the vending machine, he turned back towards his room, wondering if he should mention that the Bella girls planned on screwing him over. He didn't have to contemplate that one for long, though, before shooting down the idea. He hoped that they would carry out the plan to humiliate him, since it might bring him down a notch.

When he returned to his room, Randy was passed out face-first on the couch, and Ted had already fallen back asleep. His phone chirped on the bedside table, indicating he had a new text. He wondered why anyone would be texting him at this hour, then felt his heart leap out of his chest as he hoped Brittany would finally be responding to him.

_FWD from Unknown number: Haven't seen Kel in awhile. Hope she isn't with Randy again. He'll say a lot more happened than actually did, just like the last time._


	4. Trash Talk

**Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue.**

**A/N: Yes, another one—since I am addicted to my ideas, I have another chapter right away for you guys to get into. Suggestions welcome, guys! **

* * *

Trudging behind Randy and Ted, Cody walked into the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He kept reading and re-reading the strange text from an even stranger number last night. He had no idea who it was. He also wondered if it was true, that Randy had made the entire rendezvous between him and Kelly up. It could really go either way; either Kelly hurt his pride after turning down his offer, or she was trying to save face so she wasn't the constant talk of the locker room. Cody thus far assumed the latter, because as long as he'd known Randy, a female hadn't been able to shy away from his charms.

"Looking forward to the match against Adam tonight?" Ted asked Randy, who kept flicking open his phone, replying to a text, and flicking it closed.

Randy grunted in reply. It appeared to be a bad day to try making conversation with the Legend Killer today. More likely than not, he had a "killer" hangover. Cody chuckled at his own lame joke.

"Something funny?" Randy snarled.

Cody wiped the smirk off his face instantly. "No, no. But hey, how much did you drink last night?"

"None of your damn business," Randy replied, running his hand over his basically non-existent hair.

The back of the arena was completely dead, the only people there being technicians or stagehands. Cody was certain they were the only superstars there already, but Randy insisted they be there early to train a little before their matches.

"I'm gonna head to catering, I haven't eaten yet today," Cody said. Randy either didn't hear him or couldn't care less. Or both. As he opened the door to the catering room, long blonde hair stared back at him. He smiled a little, knowing that he could use alone time with Kelly if it meant getting anywhere with her. And, of course, finally earning the respect he so much deserved.

He gracefully slid into the chair across from the woman, who was writing something down a piece of paper.

"Can I help you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Cody couldn't help but to gaze into her eyes.

"Actually, I was hoping you could," he replied coolly, eyeing her up. She continued to be focused on writing, not even giving him a fair opening. When she didn't respond, he added, "I'd like to take you out to dinner. Tonight, after the show."

Kelly slapped her pen down on the table. "Why?" she asked, eyes flashing. "To run off and tell your buddies how great of a fuck I am? Because, you know, that's really all I'm good for."

Cody stared back at her. "No, of course not," he replied. "I just think…that you're beautiful. And I would love nothing more but to get to know you better."

Kelly looked up at him again, trying to measure him up, trying to figure out whether or not he was telling the truth. Cody stared back at the girl, hoping she'd give him a response.

She went back to writing, largely ignoring Cody. He sighed, realizing that he was going nowhere. How come everyone else had all the luck?

Kelly ripped off some paper, pushed it across the table, and stood up, collecting her notebook quickly, and turned to leave. She said nothing as she walked through the doors.

Cody looked down at the slip of paper she'd handed him. In neat, feminine writing, he read "Room 202, 8:30. Please keep this between us for now."

He quickly stuffed the paper into his jeans pocket, and watched Adam Copeland come in out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey man," the Canadian man said, offering a wave. Cody nodded in response, hoping that he wouldn't come sit down. Unfortunately, he took Cody's response as a greeting, bringing over a sandwich and soda to the place that Kelly had just been sitting.

"Dude, I just ran into Kel out there. Talk about awkward," he said, shaking his head, "Chick still wants me. I don't know how much longer I can take it."

"Why? She seems…nice," Cody said, feeling himself in an awkward situation of his own. Adam was notorious for using Kelly right after Randy, and Cody would be the next—at least, he thought the next—to do the same.

"Nice doesn't get you anywhere in the world," Adam replied, taking a bite of his sandwich. "The girl is a Class A tramp. She's as bright as a burned out lightbulb. Try carrying on an intelligent conversation with her once; you'll see what I mean. It's unfortunate that she has all the beauty, but no brains."

"Yeah, that's too bad. But hey, good thing she doesn't have to carry on a conversation while on her back," Cody heard himself say. He instantly felt ashamed, since he didn't really even now Kelly well enough to make that judgment.

"That's probably why she's on it so often. Nobody can realize how much of an airhead she is that way," Adam laughed, tossing down the crust to his sandwich. "She's been keeping it pretty low-key for awhile, though. Trying to make people forget. But keep your ears open in the locker room, and you'll find out whose dick she's been sucking."

Cody felt his face grow hot. He almost felt a little jealous, in a way. Having competition for Kelly's attention wasn't in his plan. In fact, use her and lose her was his new motto. He decided, though, to up his own game at that very moment. Kelly was going to have to fall head-over-heels in love with him in order for him to tear her apart. It couldn't be the "I think I like you" crap she had pulled with Randy. It had to mean something more.

A stagehand walked in, motioning to Cody. "Dude, you have got to get in gorilla position! You have a segment with Legacy in ten!"

_Shit,_ Cody thought. He couldn't believe he'd been talking to this jackass for so long.

"That's your queue," Adam said jokingly. "Oh, and when I rip Randy to shreds, no hard feelings. Alright?"

Cody just laughed, giving him a quick wave of the hand, his stomach rumbling. He really should have eaten something instead of listened to Edge go on about how easy Kelly was. Because truth was, she wasn't going to be easy. In fact, the task would be difficult with all the males of the roster harping on her. There was no way she'd give in to him easy.

Walking towards his team members, he smiled cockily.

_But making the tramp fall in love would make me an entire new legend. That's exactly what I intend on doing._


	5. Confessions

**Disclaimer: Oh hey there. If you recognize it, I don't own it. **

* * *

Cody cracked his back as he sat on the wooden bench, watching Kelly and Layla have a short spat in the women's locker room for the entire WWE world to see. Nothing interesting was said, until finally, Layla shot back, "Whatever, Kelly. Everyone knows what you're good for—ask Randy, or even Edge. You have no business even being near a wrestling ring."

Kelly bolted from the locker room, the camera catching the surprise on her face beforehand. Cody had a feeling that the whole part about Edge was completely unscripted. In fact, he could tell that the fling, even though short-lived, with Adam was never meant for the entire world to hear about.

He rose from his spot on the bench, pulling on a black t-shirt over his toned stomach. He opened the locker room's door and stepped outside. At the very end of the hall, a very upset Kelly Kelly was slumped against the wall, trying to avoid being seen. Cody walked down the narrow passageway until he was close enough to speak to her without shouting.

"Kelly?" he asked, his dark eyes searching her face for anything besides the hurt she clearly felt.

"Go away," she responded, shielding her face. She reminded him of a child who had just got into trouble, throwing a tantrum after getting grounded.

"I don't want to," he simply stated, taking another step closer. "Because whether or not you like it, I actually care about you."

Kelly scoffed. She lifted her hands from her face, revealing the mess she had been masking. Her beautiful baby blues were red-tinted, mascara streaked down her cheeks, and eyes still watering. Cody felt something deep inside of him ignite like a fire. Seeing her in the amount of pain she was in triggered an emotion that he didn't even know he harbored. He held her gaze, a strange sort of electric current buzzing throughout his body. The way she looked was exactly the way he felt: torn up from his world crashing down on him. And alhough he wanted to look away, he couldn't; and he had the urge to pull her in for a kiss. Maybe he could make everything better. Maybe they could be…

_No,_ he told himself. _I'm not letting another girl close to me. I won't open my heart for anyone, for a long time._

"Nobody understands," she said, her voice raspy. "They think they know. But they don't. And how could they? Nobody ever takes the time to ask me, they just assume rumors are true."

"I want to know the truth, then," Cody said, holding out a hand to her. He hoped she'd take it. When she did, even though timidly, he pulled her in for a soft hug. He could smell her shampoo, intoxicating him with every breath he took.

"There's no point. Your 'friends' are the ones you'll end up believing. It's fine, though, I should've expected to keep getting hurt."

Cody put a finger to her lips, effectively silencing her. "Let's get out of here. I'll take you back to your hotel room, you can fix yourself up, and I'll take you out. You and I can just forget about this shitty night."

Cody's own words reminded him of the awful night he'd had, too. He'd miserably lost to the Miz in a single's match, even with interference by Ted. Even though Miz had cheated for the win, Cody should've seen it coming despite that. He was by far a better athlete than the dorky wannabe, but Miz continually proved to be great at cheating his way to the top. After walking backstage, Randy was waiting for him, ready to unleash.

_"Do you think Legacy is a joke?" _he'd asked._ "Because I can make sure your entire career ends. Fucking be smart next time, idiot."_

Kelly gaped at him, her mouth partially hanging open. She slowly nodded, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. The two broke apart, and Cody walked her down the hall. Suddenly, his phone buzzed from the pocket of his dress pants. He slid it open, reading the text from Randy:

_Smile, you're on camera! Better explain this shit to me._

Cody looked around, then realized the cameraman had been taping them from right around the corner from where the encounter between the two had taken place. Which meant everyone saw them. At first, he worried; there was no way he could keep the secret from his friends and teammates. But then, he saw it as a shining, opportune moment: Vince could easily turn this in a storyline; and Kelly would be the only one to _not_ know what was really going on. He could humiliate her even more, for the entire world to see.

Quickly, he wrote a response:

_Don't worry, I will. Probably my best idea I've ever had._

Cody put his phone back into his pocket, then put an arm around the petite blonde, guiding her as she stumbled around, her vision still blurred from the tears. When they reached the parking garage, he found Theo, Legacy's limousine driver, puffing on a cigarette.

"Hey, man, can you take us back to the hotel?" he said, trying not to seem like anything dirty was going to take place between the two later in the evening. Theo flicked his cigarette butt to the ground, stamping it out with his scuffed leather shoe.

"Sure, no problem," he said, raising an eyebrow at Cody, clearly suggesting he was wondering the very same thing Cody hoped he wouldn't.

Theo opened the limousine door for the two, and Kelly slipped in first.

The ride to the hotel was quiet, Kelly staring straight at her feet most the time. Once in awhile, she would get a text message, respond, then slip it back into her bag.

"Who are you talking to?" Cody finally mustered up the courage to ask. Kelly's eyes flickered toward him, almost angry looking, as though it was a question that he shouldn't have asked.

"A few people," she responded casually, and Cody noticed she tried hard to remove any tension from her voice.

"Only good, I hope," he said, putting his hand to her cheek. She swatted it away quickly.

"No," she said, "There's some bad, too. Like Brie, asking me what the fuck I was thinking, leaving with you. Or Layla, apologizing left and right for spilling the beans."

"Well, what _were_ you thinking?" Cody asked.

"That I needed to get out of there. That I couldn't stand hearing the gossip go even further. And that maybe, just maybe, you'd actually listen to me. Because my version of the story is completely different than what you've heard or anyone else has, and I'm sure of it."

"Well, by all means, Kel, I'm all ears," he said, soulfully looking into her eyes again. He prayed that the spark he'd felt earlier, when he'd met her in the hallway, was only imaginary, but he was met with denial, his heart beating harder and a buzz through his body. He would not allow himself to give into emotions.

_Emotions are for the weak, _Randy had told him once, _they cause distractions when the only things you should be concerned with are your goals._

Kelly shrugged. "I don't really expect anyone to believe me, Cody. It's really not that big of a deal."

"If it has you this upset, I would say that you're lying, and it evidently is a big deal," Cody said, sounding more accusing than he intended.

Kelly sighed. "Fine. Well, with Randy…we met at a club. I mean, I'd seen him on RAW, but come on, he walks around like he owns the place. Besides for you and Ted, he's got no time for any of us little people."

Cody chuckled in response, and Kelly continued.

"He was ridiculously charming. He said he'd been watching me backstage, said that with better training, I would be a lot better in the ring. He was right, of course. But I was never really meant to be a wrestler; Vince pretty much hired me as a pretty face. That, and I'm still really young, and I could easily hang around for ten more years."

"So he's kind of hoping to re-create a better Diva roster?" Cody asked, but realized he was straying from the point.

"Maybe," she responded, slightly annoyed. "Anyways…he asked me to dinner after the show the next day. I stupidly accepted, not knowing the track record he'd held with the divas. I'm still pretty new, and nobody really warned me.

"Well, the night went well, up until the end. He walked me back to the hotel room I was sharing with Nattie, and kissed me goodnight. He was so full of lust, he gave me goosebumps. It sounds pathetic to you, I bet, but…well, whatever. He ended up asking me to his room, since I guess you and Ted had an adjoining room. Again, I accepted. But nothing happened, really. We made out a little more, he pushed me onto his bed, slid my shirt off, tried to undo my belt…and I asked him to stop."

Cody couldn't help but to be surprised. After all the stories Randy had told him about what a freak Kelly was in bed, she seemed to be telling him just the opposite.

"Randy didn't take too kindly to being denied sex. I told the truth right off the bat, to both the Bellas and Nattie, after they asked what happened. They're the only ones who know the truth, and truly believe it. The thing is, Cody, I could never be that intimate with someone if I didn't have honest feelings for them. But still, Randy went to run his mouth, telling anyone who would listen about the wild sex we'd had. I think he was mostly surprised that for once, he found someone he couldn't impress."

Cody felt as though he'd slammed into a wall. Now, surprise wasn't even close to what described his feelings. If Randy lied about the affair with Kelly, what else was false?

"Well…what about Adam?" he found himself asking. The diva lowered her eyes once again, biting her lip. Right off the bat, he could tell that it was a sore subject.

"Adam and I had something. At least, I _thought _we did. I thought I'd gotten to know him really well, and I thought that he had really understood me. We quietly dated for six months after he'd split with Amy. I tried hard to be supportive after that shit hit the fan. But, I never told him the truth about Randy, so I blame myself for the way he used me. If I had told him what really happened, maybe he wouldn't have set me up the way he did. All he wanted was to prove that he was still the skeeziest guy on the roster. And I hate myself for giving into him…because all that time, I really thought I had loved him."

Kelly continued to chew on her lip, finally looking back up at Cody. Her blue eyes seemed darker now, which seemed to match her mood perfectly.

"Like I said, though. I don't really expect you to understand. Nobody does."

This time, when Cody put his hand on her cheek, she didn't swat it away.

"I understand. And I promise, things are going to get better for you," he said, staring hard into her wide eyes. He skillfully tilted her chin up, brushing his lips softly with his, tracing the inside of her lip with his tongue. Her mouth obeyed, opening slightly so that he could kiss her with as much passion as he could muster. His hands wandered to the back of her head, pulling her closer, deeper. He let his hand comb through her beautiful blonde hair, then rested on her collarbone almost suggestively.

Kissing her was nothing like kissing Brittany. Cody could feel the sense of longing, and he wanted nothing more but to hold her and kiss her all night. But he knew, deep down, he couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let Kelly become a distraction. He needed no emotional attachment. He had more important things to carry out—like his family's name.


	6. Windows

**Disclaimer: Oh hey there. If you recognize it, I don't own it. **

"That's probably the most conniving thing that I've ever heard you plan," Randy said, his eyes wild."In fact, it's genius! Good thing I've got connections."

Cody had just managed to spit out his entire plan to the Legend Killer. He realized, however, he would have kept the entire thing a secret if only the stupid cameraman hadn't poked into their business. Although the entire creative team would know what was going on, upping the ante to an entirely new level, Cody still felt terrible about the whole situation. If Kelly hadn't opened up to him, he wouldn't feel guilty using her heart as a stepping stone to get ahead. But she had, and it almost made his heart hurt knowing he was going to do what had to be done.

"We have to keep this completely quiet though, guys," Cody told both Randy and Ted. "The key to making this work out is making sure Kelly doesn't suspect a damn thing."

Ted nodded, a smile plastered across his face. "When do you plan on revealing the truth?" he asked, to either of the other two men.

Randy spoke first. "On the grandest stage of them all, of course. It's nine months or so away, I think you can make this relationship work out for that long. With some help from yours truly, of course."

"Come on, man. He kept Britt around for four months, how in fuck's sake will he keep a girl with a reputation like Kelly around for nine months?" Ted pointed out, glaring in Cody's direction. "I really think we should set someone more…experienced on her. Like you."

Randy shook his head immediately. "It would never work. I've had my fun with her, and she knows my ways. She'd never expect something like this from the nice guy. It's perfect."

Finally, Cody spoke. "Besides," he said, glancing over to where Ted was standing, "I think with your guys' help, I'll be able to keep her around without a problem. Plus, Vince knowing will definitely open more doors and more opportunities."

"Having him on your side won't hurt," Randy agreed, walking towards the hotel room door. "In fact, I'm going to give him a call right now." He left the room, cell phone in hand, heading towards the lobby.

Ted looked a little uncomfortable. "Just, you know," he said to Cody, "Don't fall for her."

Cody laughed. "Hot as she is, everyone knows _what_ she is," he said matter-of-factly. He knew he was putting on a façade for his buddy. After the night he'd had with Kelly, he knew he was going to have quite the battle within himself.

After she told him the truth about Randy and Adam, she also admitted that between the two of them, finding a serious relationship was trouble. Even those who weren't employed by the WWE still recalled what Randy had said about their night together on his personal blog, which created a short-lived storyline. No matter her protests, denying anything had happened was useless.

By then, they had gotten back to their hotel. He ran to the room he'd be sharing with Randy and Ted, while she went down the hall—room 202, to be exact, to get ready.

Twenty minutes later, Cody knocked on her door, hoping he'd given her enough time. Seconds later, she emerged, wearing a floaty pink top, dark denim skinny jeans, and white flat shoes. Her hair was pulled half-up, with a slight wave to it. Her sparkling silver earrings glimmered against her perfect skin.

"You look…wow." Cody said, not sure what words in the English dictionary could describe what stood in front of him. _Beautiful, breathtaking, amazing…_they all sounded ridiculous in his head.

"Oh, stop it," Kelly said, grabbing a brown leather purse.

"No, Kel, I mean it. It's amazing how people look in street clothes when you're so used to seeing them in spandex."

Kelly laughed, poking him in the ribs. "It's kind of nice, having you leave something to the imagination for once," she declared, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"So you've been imagining me?" Cody teased, taking her words slightly out of context.

She followed the comment with another poke, giggling. "I meant for the world to see. You're complete eye candy for the ladies!"

Cody smiled, but shook his head. "I'm not going to lie; I definitely get overshadowed when it comes to the ladies. Randy is much more cunning than I am."

"Cunning, sure. But you're actually kind of nice. What are you doing hanging around with them, anyway?"

"It was Randy's idea initially," Cody responded, carefully watching the steps down the stairs to the hotel lobby. "He wanted to recreate a faction as powerful as Evolution was, and naturally, Vince was up for it. But it's really going to give Ted and I the push we need to begin a wrestling career, even if he isn't always the most enjoyable person to work with."

Cody couldn't believe he'd revealed that to Kelly. He didn't want anyone to think he didn't like Randy, because he did. He just made things much more complicated than they needed to be. He was always pushing for Cody to go the next step, which although Cody was grateful for it, Randy's increasingly bad attitude was less than appealing.

Kelly seemed to be listening intently, letting questions float around in her head. She looked at him quizzically, but didn't ask anything.

The restaurant was pretty quiet when they'd arrived. It was a nicer place, but definitely didn't require a black tie. They'd ordered: grilled tilapia for her, and a nice steak for him, and continued to talk throughout their entire meal.

Cody couldn't believe how easy Kelly was to talk to. He could say something completely stupid, but she didn't bat an eye. He felt much more comfortable talking to her than he had with anyone. And, Adam's accusations proved to be false: she was definitely not an airhead. He should have figured as much, though. Adam was all about the physical stuff, which was why he'd liked Amy so much. Until she started throwing around that she wanted him to be committed to her. He had no interest in anything like that, still holding on to the angry feelings towards his cheating ex-wife, Alanah.

"So what about you?" Kelly asked. Cody wondered if he'd drowned her out, his own thoughts taking presence over reality. He realized that no, she was bringing up the question out of the blue.

"What about me?" he questioned back.

"Well, I told you my story with Randy and...Adam," she choked out the Rated R Superstar's name. "But I have no idea why you're single. You actually treat me like a real person, not some skank that can be thrown to the side."

_If only you knew, _Cody thought darkly.

"There's not too much to tell. I chase after the wrong girls. When it comes to clubs, they always are more interested in Randy. But I had a girl. Her name was Brittany. And she was beautiful. She told me I'd changed, and then stopped returning my calls. I eventually heard that she'd moved on, and I'm happy for her, but I wish I could be happy for myself."

"So you're still in love with her?"

"No…no, I don't know that it ever really got to that stage. But I could see her being the kind of girl I'd like to marry."

Kelly blinked at him, appearing to be shocked. "Marriage? Sounds serious to me."

"Well, I said she was the right type, not the right person."

Kelly seemed satisfied with his answer, and then moved on. They talked awhile more, Cody's hands over hers in the center of their table.

When they'd decided to venture somewhere else, Cody made sure to be a gentleman, pulling her chair out for her and opening the door.

"Thank you," Kelly responded, giving him a warm smile.

Cody returned her gratitude, and they walked down the street together.

"Would you like to go anywhere else?" he asked.

Kelly thought for a moment. "I think just a nice walk would be great, really. I'm still trying to wrap my head around why you're being nice to me."

"Because, although Randy is my mentor, I still have a mind of my own, believe it or not. And my mind tells me that I like being around you."

Kelly's cheeks flushed. "I like being around you, too," she said, "I just don't want to get hurt."

Cody's stomach sunk a little bit. "I could never hurt you, Kelly," he said, looking into her eyes. Again, he felt the connection they had, her eyes drawing him in. He knew it sounded silly, but at that very moment, he believed the old quote that "eyes were the windows to the soul" held a lot of truth.

_I'm going to hell,_ he thought,_ Oh, what a tangled web we weave…_

**A/N: I hope you loved it! Part 2 to this chapter is in the works. Thank you so much to all who reviewed! Looking forward to many more.**


	7. Revenge

**Disclaimer: Oh hey there. If you recognize it, I don't own it. **

**A/N: Yes, I'm quite aware that I've failed at updating this. I got involved in reading other stories, so I've been neglecting my own! **

**WARNING: This is a really sensitive chapter, and after I wrote it, I did some research, and found out that there is a lot of truth to this. I simply used my own creative mind to twist the truth into something beautiful. It gives this story an entirely new tone. I don't want to write too much fluff. **

* * *

Cody sighed to himself, reminiscing of his date with Kelly. The talks they'd had, the night they shared…it seemed sort of…_magical._

Cody chuckled to himself, having a hard time believing he'd used a word as cliché as "magical."

"Must've seen something funny in the mirror," Randy's voice accused, confirming that he'd re-entered the room. "Oh, wait, that's just your face."

Cody rolled his eyes out of Randy's view.

Randy kept rambling, ignoring Cody's silence. "So, I gave the creative team a little bit of insight on this whole Kelly thing. I was transferred to Stephanie's direct line, and she is thrilled. She's a McMahon, so naturally, anything to get ratings, viewers, and…well, anything that trashes another person's reputation gets two thumbs up."

Cody turned to face Randy. "So, it's a go?"

Randy smirked. "Hell yeah. They're going to embarrass Kelly like no other. Funny thing will be, though, that she won't even know."

"Would they be so supportive if it were anyone besides Kel?" Cody questioned out loud.

"First of all, dude, what the fuck? Kel? You're already given her your own pet name? Second of all, I'm sure they would still be quite supportive, but since it's Kelly…Steph has her claws sunk into this one."

"Why?" Cody asked, his eyebrows furrowed. "Does she have something against Kelly?"

Randy chuckled again. "Sometimes, I seriously wonder if you keep your ears open and your mouth shut."

Cody felt completely degraded by Randy. He always talked as if he knew everything about everyone, and laughed at those who didn't know or care to know. Cody usually tried to keep work and play separated, but Randy was the king of knowledge—of course, the type that included who was sleeping with whom.

"Well, enlighten me. Humor me. If I'm going to do this, I need to know what I'm up against," Cody retaliated, hoping that Randy didn't realize he was attempting to hide the anger bubbling inside of him.

"Alright, well, to some, it's just a rumor, not a big deal. But to Stephanie, it's more than that. Kelly's a known flirt. Hell, there's no doubt in my mind that when she was with OVW she slept her way to the top in order to get noticed by Vince. Anyways, when she first started here, she got to be really good friends with Andrew Martin (Test)."

"The guy that was supposed to marry Stephanie?" Cody asked, undoubtedly confused.

Randy chuckled. "I know you were barely starting your career when he died, but you should be reading up on facts!" he snorted once more. "Yeah, Andrew was a good guy. Stephanie, of course, never pursued a real relationship with him, it was strictly platonic, but dramatized to introduce a big push for Triple H.

"Anyway, Stephanie and Andrew stayed close, they always got along well, they worked well together, blah blah blah. You know how it goes. Paul and Andrew started talking more and more too, and eventually, he mentioned Kelly."

"I don't really see…"Cody was cut off.

"Kelly is the reason that Andrew died that night."

Cody couldn't believe his ears. Not only that, but he had a hard time believing the story in general.

"I mean, she didn't gut him with a knife or anything. But Stephanie still partially blames Kelly for it. See, your little Kelly was so interested in playing the field that she completely crushed Andrew, much like how you plan on crushing her. She's completely oblivious, she doesn't see how she has anything to do with it."

"I'm sorry, but I don't think she really does," Cody said sharply, poison on the tip of his tongue. "The EMT's said that his death was accidental, that he suffered from chronic brain injury."

_Ha. How's that for reading up on my facts, you prick._

"That's partially true, sure. But she was the reason he'd overdosed on his medication that night. I doubt he'd actually tried to kill himself. Rather, I think he wanted to feel completely numb; to fall asleep for awhile and to forget that he even opened up to the little tramp."

"Well, what did she do that would make him think so illogically?"

"That's the thing. Nobody really knows. Stephanie would've known, if Andrew was alive. And everyone else turns the other way. It had to have been something big. My guess is that they shared a really deep connection, she decided she wanted to have a different kind of connection…with different people. A really _deep_ connection." Randy's eyes glittered as he put emphasis on the word, making sure Cody caught the implication.

"I'm going to find out," Cody promised himself. In a way, he was disgusted with the young girl. However, he wasn't sure what was true anymore. He did know, though, that a subject as tender as a death of a friend would have to take a lot of time and a lot of trust-building.

"Good. I want the world to see who she really is. She isn't the pretty little blonde with a big heart or the girl next door. She's an evil little slut, and seeing her finally brought down a few notches will make a lot of people happy."

Cody wondered why Randy was so enthusiastic about bringing her down. He had already damaged her reputation enough, after all. The best guess was that he wanted to salvage his own pride, and making sure anyone that said no to the Legend Killer would regret it.

"Brought down a few notches?"

"Sure, since she stopped the whole striptease act and started attempting to wrestle, she's pissed off a lot of the ladies. She acts like she knows it all."

"In my opinion, the striptease was more up her alley," Ted stated. Cody hadn't even realized he was still in the room, much less eavesdropping on the entire conversation.

Randy chuckled, clapping his hand on his friend's shoulder. "You and I both, man," he said, lightening the grim mood a little.

Cody wondered why she hadn't mentioned Andrew at all last night; even that she had any connection to the man. Of course, more likely than not, it was a sore subject for the woman, and maybe even improper for a first date topic.

His thoughts were interrupted when his cell phone began to vibrate.

_Forward from Stephanie Levesque: Got word from Dad, he's all for the storyline. It's time to take out the trash._

"Hey, Steph just texted me," Randy said jovially, flipping open his own phone simultaneous with Cody.

"Yeah, me too," Cody said, running his hand over his head. He had started to feel guilty about hurting Kelly. She seemed so true, so fresh, so loving. But had he really been the oblivious one? If Kelly really did hold some blame in Test's death, he didn't mind ramming her career into the ground. Even though he didn't know Andrew personally, he remembered his death, going to the funeral, and how much the unfortunate event had affected so many people. Hell, she deserved what was coming to her. Sure, he knew Stephanie was catty, but if Vince had given the entire set-up the go-ahead, too, Kelly had many more enemies than friends.

_No more falling for the whore. I'm going to show everyone who…no,what, she really is: a murderer. _

* * *

**A sneak peak into the future:**

_"I hope more than anything that we can be together," he said to her, cupping her chin between his thumb and index finger, slowly tilting her face up so he could better see her._

_"We are together," she said, confusion crossing her features._

_"No, I mean, really be together. I thought that Brittany had my heart...but then I met you."_

_"Stop comparing me," she said, sounding a little hurt._

_"Comparing you? Brittany can't even hold a candle to you. You're everything I need. Everything I want. There's only one more thing that I want from you."_

_Kelly raised her right eyebrow, knowing fully well where this conversation was headed._


	8. Latin, Philosophy, and John Tucker

**Disclaimer: Oh hey there. If you recognize it, I don't own it. **

**A/N: Yes, I'm quite aware that I've failed at updating this. I got involved in reading other stories, so I've been neglecting my own! This is kind of a filler chapter, for better chapters coming up. Who is the unknown number? Someone might be watching…**

* * *

Okay, so a murderer wasn't quite the correct term. But if she had a starring role in his death, Cody hoped she'd get what was coming to her. Karma was a bitch, after all.

Cody left his hotel room, in high hopes of cooling down his hot head. Randy _did_ stretch the truth, but he had the overwhelming, in the gut feeling that this tale held more truth than not. He wasn't sure how he was going to pull off something so humiliating. After all, if he just stood there on the mic at Wrestlemania, who would believe anything he said? Kelly could easily refute any of his accusations, and unfortunately, he didn't have the power to manipulate other people's opinions like Randy did.

Almost like a flash, an idea dawned on him. It was complete perfection.

_John Tucker Must Die._

Sure, the movie was kind of a silly high school flick, but Brittany had begged him to watch it one day while he was home. He laughed at all the silly humor, but he never thought that the ultimate point of the movie would soon become a reality in his own life.

He would record as many moments as he could, get as many humiliating things on tape, take it to the board of digital and editing, and they could put together a nice segment dedicated in its entirety to Kelly. If all went right, he could even catch Kelly confessing to having a huge part in Andrew's death.

He sighed. He knew damn well that right now, as it stood, he had absolutely nothing on her. She may have been tied to both Randy and Adam, both setting her up completely. She was great at acting like a damsel in distress, but there had to be something deeper than that. A real reason why she was hurting. What was she hiding?

"Hey, you," a female voice purred as Cody was lost in his own thoughts. His head snapped up, making eye contact with the very woman he hoped he didn't have to see right now.

"Hey, yourself," he replied, trying to sound as casual as he could. He feared that he actually sounded too casual.

Kelly smiled. "I had a lot of fun with you last night. It was nice finally being able to talk to someone who doesn't look down on my decisions."

For a split second, Cody thought maybe she already knew what the dark, sinister plan was. After deciding that there was no way she could possibly know, he tried even harder to pretend everything was normal.

"People make mistakes, Kel. Nemo mortalium omnibus horis sapit."

Kelly let her jaw drop, then she smiled. "You're right, Cody, nobody can be wise all the time."

This time, Cody looked at her in awe. "You know Latin?"

"Some," she replied, "From what I can remember from high school. I took AP Latin back in the day, back when I was more interested in books and my GPA than full nelsons and WWE."

Cody was surprised. Kelly proved to be a smart girl over and over, constantly showing him that Adam's words were completely wrong.

"You didn't always want to be a wrestler?" Cody asked, guiding her to the couch in the hotel lobby. He motioned for her to sit, and she did.

"Of course not. I mean, I loved watching when I was young. I had such an interest in philosophy, the ancient Greeks, Rene Descartes…but things are different now. Although I still enjoy all of it, sometimes it's better to let go of one dream and replace it with something new."

Cody looked deep into her eyes, a spark igniting yet again between the two. He wanted so badly to take her in his arms, kiss her, hold her close.

Kelly punched him playfully, "Lighten up, Cody, you look too solemn."

Cody snapped out of it quickly, returning her gleaming smile. "I guess I would have never picked you to be intrigued by philosophy," he said, hoping he hadn't implied she was dumb.

Kelly laughed. "Surprise," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. She kissed him on the cheek, then got up from her spot on the couch. "I have a little bit of shopping to do. I'd invite you to come with, but it'll be a bunch of girls…"

Cody threw up his hands and made a sour face. "That's fine. I should get motivated myself. I'll see you later?"

Kelly smiled, and nodded her head.

As she left, he knew he had to get started. He headed back to his room, hoping he'd catch Randy before he left for whatever he would be doing today.

* * *

"Can't say I've seen that movie," Randy said after Cody had told him of his epiphany. "But I think I like where this is going. Compile enough clips, and you'll be golden. We just need to figure out where we can set up a video camera so that she won't ever suspect a thing…"

"I have an idea," Ted chimed in, as he was sitting on the edge of the bed. "We can stop at a tech store and get one of those hidden cameras. You know, the small ones that you can upload the video to a computer?"

Randy clapped his colleague on his back. "Genius! I'll shoot Stephanie an e-mail and let her know straight away that we're starting this operation. She'll be happy that it's sooner rather than later."

"It'll be great, showing the clip at Wrestlemania. Just like the movie, though, you have to make sure it's a happy moment, and bring it out of nowhere," Ted said to Cody.

Randy rolled his eyes. "Really? I was completely unaware that I mentor a pair of teenaged girls."

Ted chuckled. "If you watched the movie, man, you'd get it. Besides, all the actresses are pretty hot."

After numerous more complaints from the Legend Killer, the three men set out to do a little shopping of their own. Randy sent his e-mail to Stephanie, who responded with "Bring down the little bitch!" and forwarded it to Vince, who responded with, "Great ideas! Ratings will skyrocket!"

Randy walked ahead in the parking lot of a nearby Radio Shack, and Ted quickly spun Cody around to talk again. "Really man, be careful. She's charming, and this is a career-changing moment for you. Don't fall for her—think of Andrew, you need to defend _his_ Legacy."

Cody nodded sharply, his stomach turning. Career-changing? Definitely. But he'd never used someone as a stepping stone like the other two had. Then again, maybe that's why he wasn't getting anywhere…

His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he checked the message he'd received. Another unknown number? He really had to ask around…

_FWD from an Unknown number: She needs to be careful. Those three are trouble, and the hurt she's been through in the past might not compare to what they can do._

* * *

**Sneak Peak:**

_Adam drew in a breath. "Nobody...has really talked about it. I can't say I ever got much conversation out of her. But I do know they were serious. Real serious. Locker room talk says she cheated with her highschool sweetheart one weekend she was at home, and that drove him over the edge. No pun intended," he tried to smile, but the seriousness of the topic was overwhelming. "Why do you ask? You into her?"_

_Cody gulped. He wasn't sure he'd be able to keep a straight face. "No...of course not. You'll see, soon enough."_


	9. Over the Edge

**Disclaimer: Oh hey there. If you recognize it, I don't own it. **

**A/N: Yes, I'm quite aware that I've failed at updating this. I got involved in reading other stories, so I've been neglecting my own! This is kind of a filler chapter, for better chapters coming up. Who is the unknown number? Someone might be watching…**

**

* * *

**

Finally, after testing the camera hundreds of times, Cody could put it to use. He'd already recorded an intro to his splices of future video, and he hoped he could catch Adam before the show, maybe getting an insider's view of Kelly's double life.

"_Kelly, nobody is perfect. And I've made it my goal to discover what your imperfections are. It started out innocently, I was going to use you and lose you, but finding out the link between you and Andrew 'Test' Martin made the entire project much more interesting. You think I'm the nice guy who doesn't fit in with Legacy? Consider yourself a stepping stone. You mean nothing to me, just a career builder."_

Cody was proud of the introduction. For once, he'd managed to show another side of himself, a side that Randy had been prying to get out for months. He finally had a dark side.

He was bursting with anticipation, hoping things would settle into place. There was a glimmer of hope in him, after a second warning by Ted, that his plan would settle quite well. Talking to Adam was the next step. He wasn't sure how he'd lean into the conversation, especially knowing Adam and "Test" were such good friends in the past. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure where to go next; Adam was only one witness. He could get Randy saying a little something to Kelly, but after humiliating her once on live TV, his credibility wouldn't hold well with the audience.

Cody wandered the halls of the seemingly empty arena. He hoped Adam was already there, but he also knew that some superstars took their down time seriously.

"Lost?" a voice said from behind him. Cody whipped around, facing Natalya. She offered him a smile, then clapped him on the back.

"This place is a ghost town," he replied. "I didn't really think I was _that_ early."

The blonde laughed, tucking pink-streaked hair behind her ear. "It's not, really. At least, not unless you have something to do."

Cody cracked a smile. "Guess that means I'm kind of a loser, having nothing to do.."

She laughed again. "Kelly will be here soon. That'll give you something to do."

"That almost sounds dirty."

"It's only a matter of time," she called over her shoulder while she began to walk away. "Just don't hurt the poor girl. She's had enough heartbreak."

Guiltily, Cody turned his face away from the woman. He hoped that he wasn't incriminating himself by being unresponsive. On the other hand, at least Kelly's best friend liked him. Girls' best friends always seemed to get in the way.

Cody walked into the men's locker room, and breathed a sigh of a relief as he saw Adam unpacking his boots from his duffel.

"Hey man," he said to Adam, nodding in his general direction. "Got a few minutes?"

Adam turned. "I guess. What's up?"

Cody sighed. "Girls, man. I don't get it. They hide a lot of shit."

Adam chuckled. "Man, if only you knew. Try being caught in the middle of that shit. That's some serious drama, you know?"

Cody knew he was referencing his relationship with Amy. He nodded, not really sure what to say. Luckily, Adam said the next line perfectly, as if he really knew why he'd come to him.

"Saw you hanging around with Kelly. Pretty girl. Kinda shallow. Brain-dead. But hey, whatever you dig, man."

Cody felt heat rise up in him. After talking philosophy with Kelly, she was probably ten times smarter than most people he'd worked with. He swallowed, letting the heat cool, before he talked again.

"We're pretty good friends," Cody offered, "not bunkmates by any means though…not yet." He hoped he'd sounded convincing enough. "Problem is, she won't jump into the sack without some means of trust," he said, nodding towards the trust Adam had been able to gain from her.

"Or the disgustingly good looks of Randy," Adam stated. "He can literally charm the pants off from any girl."

"Yeah, but I'm not lucky enough for that. I get to earn her trust first. But I can't…I feel like she's seriously hiding something."

Adam laughed. "I can't see that girl hiding anything at all! If that girl wants on you, she'll show you how bad she wants it. She did it for me. She's done it before. You just gotta turn on that charm I know you've got."

"No man. I've tried Randy's cocky, be-an-asshole way. I've tried being 'charming.' So far, getting close to her is a no-go."

"She didn't take long to get through to for me…then again, I think she was fascinated with me from the beginning. Not much time for talking,a lot of kissing between us…physicality is where it's at, man. It's what I've got with Amy, and it is what it is, no strings attached. Course, Matt wasn't too thrilled…"

"Well, I figure I have to get to know her before I bone her. I've been around the block a few times, and she really seems to have her guard up. I've heard a few things, though. And since you got to know her pretty well, whereas Randy never gave her a second thought…"

Adam cut him off. "She's good in bed. Trust me. If that's why you're here, and you want to see if it'll be…pleasurable in the longrun, then my answer is yes, absolutely."

"No…actually…I kind of heard stuff. About her relationship with Andrew. That she might've…aided in his death."

Adam drew in a breath. "Nobody...has really talked about it. I can't say I ever got much conversation out of her. But I do know they were serious. Real serious. Locker room talk says she cheated with her highschool sweetheart one weekend she was at home, and that drove him over the edge. No pun intended," he tried to smile, but the seriousness of the topic was overwhelming. "Why do you ask? You really into her?"

Cody gulped. He wasn't sure he'd be able to keep a straight face. "No...of course not. You'll see, soon enough."

"Just don't get dragged into that drama bullshit. It's taken her a long time to gain any respect from a lot of people…mainly Steph. That's not too hard to notice though. Check out her shitty storylines. She's lucky to have a job here at all."

"Don't worry, it's gonna pan out the way I hoped," he said, smiling for the first time.

He got up, and Edge watched him carefully.

"Good luck, Little Rhodes," he said, using the pet name Randy started up when he'd first joined the WWE.

"Thanks for your help, Adam. You don't know how much this is going to help out."

The taller man played it off, like it was no big deal. They said their goodbyes, good luck tonight, good luck with Amy…all the salutations possible.

Cody's first thoughts after leaving the locker room was that Adam was undoubtedly a pig. The way he weaseled his way into women's lives simply for the pleasure of a romp between the sheets once or twice.

His second thoughts were much more pleasant. Adam had been the first meant that he would truly be where he hoped in his career, in a few more months, Kelly would be a mere memory, a helpful reminder of the unlucky nice guy he used to be while assholes like Randy were given one title opportunity after another.

Yes, he was ready for the change.


End file.
